The present invention relates to an inflatable apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a side impact to the vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable tubular structure that is inflatable inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable tubular structure is inflated from a stored position by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable tubular structure through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure including a side door. The apparatus comprises an inflatable tubular structure and an inflation fluid source for providing inflation fluid to inflate the inflatable tubular structure. The inflatable tubular structure has a first end connected to the side door of the vehicle at a first location and an opposite second end connected to the side door at a second location. The inflatable tubular structure has a stored position in which the inflatable tubular structure is deflated and stored in the side door. The inflatable tubular structure is inflatable from the stored position to a deployed position in which the inflatable tubular structure is inflated and positioned between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant.